New Divide
by porcelaintramp
Summary: Some say 'Love is blindness', and no truer words have ever been spoken. She is a young, blind woman with a temper. He's a half-Vulcan with prejudices and repressed emotions. I say, let the sparks fly...among other things.
1. Getting Started

Author's note: So, this one is definitely gonna have sex, but it's also gonna come with a plot-ish thing. So, don't expect them to get naked and go at it like rabbits…right away. Ha.

I am currently on the hunt for a Beta. You don't have to be registered as one here, but you should know your stuff. :B PM if you are interested!

Summary: Some say 'Love is blindness', and no truer words have ever been spoken. She is a young, blind woman with a temper. He's a half-Vulcan with prejudices and repressed emotions. He developes an unusual urge to protect her -- and she wants nothing to do with it. I say, let the sparks fly...among other things.

Warnings (all chapters): Prejudice. Heavy angst. Goes to some dark, psychological places. Mature content.

_The Star Trek franchise belongs the creators and anyone else who stakes a claim. I own nothing. This story is written for purely entertainment. All rights reserved._

--

_Nyota.._

The communications officer had been on his mind for quite some time; however, she was currently not board the Enterprise. Some family issues had called the woman back home, for an undetermined amount of time. They had been in a relationship for three and half months – officially, anyway. Before that was their odd courting period, which arguably could still count as serious dating, since they did not see anyone else in that time.

Spock sighed slightly, no longer enjoying the solitude of his room. Since she had been inside, a new live had come about; even with her simply sitting on one of the chairs, reading, or compiling some work, it was nice. It was only the third night into her absence, but it felt like forever.

_That is highly illogical, _His mind murmured softly, and the half-Vulcan resisted the urge to sigh again, this time in frustration. The war between his Vulcan and Human mind was on-going, though they had found things they shared in common, he was certain it would never be over. _What about my elder, alternate-reality self? He hardly seems to be at his wits end with his consecutive halves. _In fact, he was certain Jim had referred to his other self as 'cool', and 'hip'. Although he would never use such words himself, they were quite accurate: Prime had showed himself as social, understanding, kind, and even a bit of a flirt. Not that anyone would notice besides Spock, since the hints were subtle, but there was no doubt in his mind that if Prime wished, the signals could be rather noticeable.

A small twang of jealously flashed throughout his body: why could _he_ not be so open? Body language was not difficult to understand, and yet, he had such trouble communicating in such a way. Not even when his mind was screaming, and Nyota was comforting him in the lift, when he needed it most, could he hold her for too long. Now…the touches were longer, but extremely foreign and brought on uncertainty. He knew Nyota wanted more; but he could not give it, not as soon as she hoped.

Forcing himself to relax, he obtained a meditative position, determined to clear his thoughts and find at least a fraction of peace once again. Tomorrow would be an interesting but dutiful day – they were to receive a Denobulan Ambassador, and safely transport him to the bi-monthly meeting between all the Federation Ambassadors. A fairly routine task, but as always, it was important to keep up appearances and make sure all the needs of the Ambassador were met. It was only polite, and in keeping with Starfleet's expectations.

--

"Are you nervous?"

Denahi spoke smoothly, in his native tongue, to his translator. His gaze was locked firmly on the petite woman, some amusement and concern sparked.

"No."

A broad smile worked its way along the male's features, making the natural ridges even more noticeable. His head tilted to the side, and he moved closer to her fluidly. "I have known you for five years – it would be rude to lie to me." Even though the words themselves would seem as though they were strict, the tone in which they were spoken was clearly not.

When she hesitated longer than normal in answering, his eyebrows raised a bit. "Hayden."

She flinched slightly, but raised her head, her eyes landing on where she thought he was, judging by his light breathing, and the faint smell of subtle cologne. "…Fine; yes, I am." A large, reassuring hand was placed on her shoulders and she relaxed somewhat, but her mind was still buzzing with news: they were going to be transported to the meeting via the Enterprise. It would take about a week to get there, and while she had no problem being on a ship with thousands of others…one of her old friends was on-board.

"May I ask why?" Hayden shrugged off his hand, and moved a bit uncertainly to the chair, feeling around for it slightly, before taking a cautious seat. She could sense that he moved with her, and bent over slightly, since his height was more than her own, though not exceedingly staggering. "He doesn't know…" She trailed, and propped her elbows on the desk, awkwardly cutting her face with her palms. "..that I'm blind."

"Oh. Well, that will definitely get the conversation going, wouldn't it?"

She couldn't help but laugh slightly – it was uncanny how he always knew how to make her feel better. "Maybe, but I'm suppose to stick with you, and we all know how popular you can get." He may not be very fluent in the standard language, but he certainly knew a few choice phrases when it came to being around women. Hayden had helped, of course, to try and broaden it, but he argued that if he knew the language better, she could no longer be needed; and well, he was about the closest thing to a father figure that she had.

"You should still socialize outside of the political gene pool. It's not healthy for a young woman to be sucked into that too soon. Otherwise, you'll be just as grouchy as them."

"You're not grouchy," She retorted, and blew a piece of her hair out of the way when she felt it brush against her nose. Although it was hard to tell, she knew it was probably getting a bit too long again; but she didn't have the heart to get it cut at the moment. It felt familiar, and was kind of like a security blanket.

Denahi shrugged, and gave her a customary pat on her head, much like a genuine father would do to their daughter. "That's because I actually have you to keep me sane…you actually like my singing."

She leaned back in the chair slightly, and let out a huge gust of air, her eyes flickering around, despite not being able to see anything. "I wouldn't say _like_, so much as _used_ to it."

--

The following day on the Enterprise was pretty much like a breeze.

Which naturally meant that James T. Kirk was having a ball; and that never was a good sign.

"So, does the same thing go for white chocolate?"

Currently, he was pestering his First Officer over newly-discovered information; the whole bridge was secretly listening in, although no one else dared to speak. They weren't too keen on getting on Spock's bad side, while Jim seemed to thrive in getting his friend riled up. "White chocolate has the same compounds as regular chocolate, the only difference being the color chemicals. Naturally, I would assume that yes; it would still have the same effect."

Sometimes Spock enjoyed answering questions about his alien half, but there were a few things he would not mind straying away from – the 'drunken', and sometimes aphrodisiac effect that chocolate has, being one of them. Of course, he skillfully left the latter out, not wishing to steer the conversation into Vulcan intimacy.

"Damn."

"Indeed." Cursing was never something he was fond of, and was something his Captain did quite often. At least he attempted to tone it down slightly when they were still technically on-duty; not that he didn't make up for lost time later, however.

"When will the Ambassador arrive, sir?" Sulu asked with curiosity, turning around in his seat slightly, to look at both the Captain and the science officer.

"Sometime soon," Came Jim's oh-so eloquent reply.

"In approximately fifty-three minutes, assuming all was done on schedule."

"Yeah, what he said." Jim got a little glare from Spock, but it only made the young Captain smile a bit wider, and shrug it off easily.

"Captain – incoming transmission from Starfleet." The stand-in communications officer said wistfully, immediately catching the attention of everyone on the bridge.

James settled back in his chair, and sighed happily, a huge grin on his face. "Well, let's not be strangers! Patch'em through."

Admiral Pike's face was fitted to the screen only moments later. "Captain Kirk," He greeted politely, an old wisdom and amusement in his eyes as he scanned the bridge. "I guess you've heard the news then, huh?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but we still got some time before the Ambassador gets here."

"I just wanted to warn you, that he has a woman with him – not like _that_," Pike corrected himself, seeing the silly expression on Kirk's face. "She is his personal translator, and goes with him anywhere where she might be needed. Don't be jackass, alright? I know you don't really mean to be, it's just kind of in your nature, but there's no need to make anything complicated, now is there?"

"No, sir."

Pike seemed a bit skeptical, and cast a knowing glance to Spock, who simply gave a small, curt nod. "I will…ensure he does not step over the line." Such human sayings were still a bit foreign to him, but slowly, he was understanding their meaning, even if he didn't agree with them all that much.

--

It had been a long fifteen hours of waiting, from the time she got up, to the time they were on the shuttlecraft to be transferred over to the Enterprise. She was nervous, first and foremost. Hayden had not seen James since she was fifteen – almost nine years ago.

They had not kept in contact frequently, but when they did communicate, it was always meaningful. Last she heard from him was when he decided to enlist in Starfleet. Being a translator for the Denobulan was a near full-time job, and they were almost constantly moving, but she still considered him a good friend.

When she found out he was now the Captain of his own federation ship, she was immensely proud; she was sure he was still a bit of a playboy, but, he was also responsible now…when he had to be. If only she had to guts to tell him what happened, she wouldn't feel so bad. He'd told her some horrible things he'd done, but she couldn't even tell him that.

Guilt weighed heavily on her heart. James had always said that he loved her eyes – an odd shade of blue – since it complimented her dark brown hair and now they were grey, and clouded over.

"We're here," Denahi pointed out softly, not at all minding the confused looks from others who clearly didn't understand his language. "He will not blame you for not telling him." He assured her, and stood fluidly, and she followed, staying close by him, her hand resting lightly on his back for guidance.

"No, probably not, but still…"

He began to lead her out of the shuttle, and she instantly noticed the cool temperature on the ship; she could feel the bright lights on her, and hear the buzz of others and the machines working properly. She had always imagined what it would be like on a starship, and now she was on one, but she could not see it.

Denahi gave her a small nudge with his hip, and spoke gently. "They are approaching." She was not ready. Not like this, anyway. Still she sucked in a breath, and prepared herself. A flurry of footsteps were coming toward them, and it mimicked her racing heartbeat.

"Ambassador." That was not Jim's voice – it was deeper, almost monotone, but not quite. "I am Spock, the First Officer of the Enterprise."

She knew that Denahi understood that much, since he was used to introductions profusely, but that was about it, really. "Hello, Spock. This is Ambassador Denahi and I'm—"

Her sentence could not be finished, because suddenly a very familiar voice cut through her words.

"Hayden?!"

She swallowed the lump in her throat, and bit her lip slightly. Somewhere in her mind, she was aware of Denahi's weight pressed against her slightly, to keep her steady.

"…James," She breathed heavily, and fought the urge to sink to her knees when he was suddenly in front of her, his breath fanning out across her hair, as his hand cupped her chin, tilting her face upwards. On instinct, and in shame, she immediately shut her eyes.

"Open your eyes."

"No."

Spock was unsure as to what was transpiring, and scientifically, he was intrigued; he had never seen his Captain act in such a…caring way, toward a female member of the crew to such a degree, without the intention of flirting or bedding them. It was obvious that whatever was going on, was personal, however.

"Captain, I do not think now is the best time for..this."

The Ambassador placed his hand gently along her forearm. "Let him see." His native tongue washed over her like a cool breeze, fighting through her mind that was currently trying to deny everything in that moment.

Hesitantly, she did as he suggested, and opened her eyes; they flickered, not knowing exactly where his face was, before simply staring in a natural position. In her mind, she could practically see his face, how it usually was – but she had no idea what he looked like now.

"..What..what happened?"

"A lot of things, James. I really don't wanna talk about it now. I have to contact Starfleet, and unpack, and like, a _million_ of other things that need to get done before-"

He cut her off again, but this time, not by speaking; he hugged her. Like he used to – that coveted big brother type of hug, and it made her want to cry. She was such a horrible friend, keeping things like this from him.

"Okay, okay, calm down. You're not wonder woman, you know? We'll talk later."

Numbly, she nodded, and kept herself steady as he pulled back. Denahi murmured something in her ear, and for a moment, she was thrust back into her 'job'. "The Ambassador would like to know if – later – it would be fine if we explored the ship? It is the latest model and he has a particular fondness for Starfleet ships."

James chuckled slightly, and she was sure he was nodding, but he wasn't the one who spoke. "Naturally, as long as your explorations do not cause interruptions, it is highly welcome."

"In Spock-speak, that means 'have fun'."

Spock sent a small glare to his Captain, before there was a soft buzz on the universal intercom.

"Captain, Mr. Spock, you're presence is needed back on the bridge. Sulu out."

"He is smirking," Denahi spoke again, and she couldn't help but snicker some; of course James was smirking. Why wouldn't he?

"Well, duty calls! I'll come by your quarters later, if that's cool?"

She shrugged slightly, "Yeah, that'd be okay."

"It was a pleasure meeting you Ambassador – Miss Hayden."

The two turned away, making a slight squeak on the floor, before she could say anything else.

Talk about first impressions. Even though Jim was civil in public, she was sure he would throw a fit when he came to visit her…and what about his First Officer, Spock? The way he spoke was familiar and get different to her at the same time. "What was he, Denahi?"

He did not need to ask to know whom she was speaking of. "A Vulcan."

"Oh." With that extremely articulate answer, she repositioned herself at his side, as he took the lead again, easily finding their quarters – it was a good thing they found them out beforehand, otherwise, that meant having to face James again. That, or his First Officer; and right now, the only thing she wanted to do was take a nap.

--

"Captain -..Jim. You seemed oddly surprised with the woman's eyes." Spock's head tilted slightly as they walked, easily avoiding collisions with others. He watched Jim's form go a bit rigid, before relaxing again. _Fascinating._

"They weren't always like that. I remember them being blue – bluer then anything I have ever seen." A hand came up to rub the back of his neck, and he pressed the button for the lift to open, easily stepping inside and awaiting for Spock to do the same.

"That is highly illogical. A color cannot be any more of a color then it already is. However..the statement suggests that you have some emotional attachment to the woman – is that correct?"

"She is not just some woman, Spock. Her name is Hayden..and well, she's my best friend. The only person who knows me better than me, and no matter what dumb shit I did, helped me out of it. I don't love her, if that's what you mean. Not in a romantic way, anyway. She's like my sister."

Spock blinked slightly, and when the lift stopped on the bridge, followed out, silently taking seat at his station. _Hayden. I must investigate further, to see why he holds this woman in such a high regard. _He seemed unconvinced, so far having no solid ground as to why James would react in such a way, if he was not in-love with her. Not to mention the fact that he was not sure if she was appropriate for her appointed job, if she was unable to see.

--

Review, por favor! (8 Suggestions are also welcome, too. I'll probably take anything into consideration. O:


	2. Tension

--*

The Ambassador was kind enough to give her – or rather, force her – to take the rest of the day off after they explored the ship. She knew he probably wasn't tired as he claimed to be, but rather wanted her to catch up with an old friend. This was one of the times were she actually wished he hadn't. What was she suppose to say to James? Hayden had never been good at keeping secrets, and the only one she managed to was certainly coming back to bite her. He wouldn't end their friendship, or anything, but he would be disappointed in her.

"Lights, fifty percent."

The last thing she wanted was the room to be as dark as the rest of her life. Even the gentle brightness the lights brought was soothing, and familiar, something she needed desperately. Each minute felt like hours, bringing more and more anxiety into her already stressed, mind.

Her door chimed.

_James._

"Uh-mm, come in..?"

Hayden silently chided herself, for sounding…well, fearful. There was no way to tell what was going on in his mind, and while she used to be pretty well at reading his face, that certainly didn't help her now. She heard the gentle buzz of the door opening, and closing, along with his firm footsteps on the lightly carpeted floor.

_Better beat him to the punch, girl, otherwise you may never get a word in!_

"Look, James, I can explain—"

His hand covered her mouth quickly, and she made a small noise of surprise. He was incredibly close now, she could smell his favorite shampoo and light aftershave. "You don't need to." James cut in swiftly, and took a seat beside her on the bed, causing it to incline somewhat.

"The only thing I want to know is..how? And when, really. I can't even imagine…" His voice trailed, but their thoughts on the sentence were the same.

_I can't even imagine being blind._

Except she didn't have to imagine it; now, being blind was her current life, her future, her scar. Where should she begin? Where could she even begin, without babbling one like some old lady recalling the good ol' days? His hand left her mouth, and she sniffled slightly; she wasn't about to cry, or, at least she hoped she wasn't.

"First year at Starfleet. A couple of months before my twentieth birthday…I had already been working with the Ambassador since I was eighteen, though I was still in that 'training' mode. His current translator and I, we were on our way to one of the Gala's that were being held for the embassy, and naturally we would be expected to attend – well, I was invited, but it would be good practice, y'know? Plus I was getting cabin fever with my campus room, so I went. It happened after the party, though." She paused, and swallowed a little wail down her throat; just thinking about it make her start to tremble, and she was enveloped by James' arms soothingly, providing unspoken comfort.

"I shouldn't have asked," He began, his voice low. "You can st-"

"No, James, I wan't you to know." Hayden argued, and he held her tighter. "Some.. .some rebellion _jackasses _had set one of the glass doors to explode, and it was triggered when we were leaving. I got glass in my eyes and forehead. The doctors removed it all, and said that they could even give me my eyesight back…but I didn't respond to the treatments."

She hadn't even noticed she was crying slightly until he wiped the lazy tears away, and cradled her the way that he used to, whenever she was being clumsy and fell, or walked in on her parents in a dangerous spat. Hayden may not have been able to see him, but she could feel him, and with some awkwardness she managed to hook her arms around him securely; he was her one source of eternal comfort.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't around." Jim's voice was tight, and he buried his face in her hair, an unbelievable feeling of helplessness washing over him. He'd always been there to save her even when she didn't need it – and the one time it could've made a difference, he wasn't there. "I would've kicked those punks asses, in front of everyone."

That thought made her laugh a little, but it was brief, and low.

"Yeah, I know…that's what I told'em."

--

_*dream sequence*_

"_So, what do you think?" Lidia asked excitedly, bouncing on her toes like a puppy._

_I laughed, and nudged her in the shoulder. "It's…fancy. Never thought a country girl like me would even see the outside of stuff this nice." She snickered, and instantly linked arms with me, moving us away from the Ambassador – he was conversing with other Denobulans; there was no need for us to be around at the moment._

"_Oh, hush. Starfleet is nice."_

"_That's a different kind of nice, like, professional, life-changing nice. This is…fuck, it's like something out a fairytale."_

_The whole place had a champagne gold glow, with banners of the finest silk and sheer, highlighting the curves of the room. Jewel-like sparkles were stuck on the ceiling, creating a mood like the night sky, when all the stars were out; it shimmered off the gentle glow of the scattered candles and dimmed lights. Everyone was dressed accordingly; tuxes, dress-robes, gowns, gorgeous kimonos. You name it, someone was wearing it – but the guests looked fabulous, happy, and right at home. _

"_Well, get used to it girl. You may not be a princess, but you'll feel like one after you hit a couple of these up. I'm getting too old for this – the traveling, I mean. I'm fifty—"_

"_..and you look fucking great, by the way."_

"—_yes, thank you." She laughed, before continuing, as we went toward the little bar that was set up. "There are other things I want to pursue; art, nature, maybe even having a steady stream of friends, for a change. You're one of the few good gal-pals I have, who aren't fed up with my traveling, but that's because you come with me sometimes, too."_

_I knew she was right. Being a translator, and even the assistant to the Ambassador would call for being off Earth, visiting other planets, strengthening galactic connections..hell, even when we didn't leave Earth, we were in other countries._

"_But you..you're young! By the time you graduate the Academy you'll be one of the best linguists, I'm sure."_

_The thought made my hands a little clammy. "Please, Lidia. I've barely started my first year. Who knows? I may decide to change my major. I only know Denobulan because of family connections. It wasn't a first step toward a wise career choice."_

"_What's your point? You're here now, aren't you?"_

_I shrugged, and took one of the small glasses of wine. Lidia immediately sent me a little look, and I waved her off innocently. "What? I'm close enough in age – besides, I'm pretty damn mature if I do say so myself."_

_Lidia laughed and took a glass as well, and held hers up for a toast with mine; I clanked glasses with her, of course, and smiled brightly. "To the future."_

"_Mine? Or yours?"_

"_Shut up and drink before I decide to take it."_

_The rest of the evening went along flawlessly; we mingled with others, with and without Denahi, and had a really good time. Lidia was on alcohol patrol though, and after me trying to sneak another one – a strong Orion brandy – she was determined not to let me get smashed in front of everyone._

"_Ladies,"_

_We turned in unison, our giggling carrying over slightly as we were met by the Ambassador, who looked quite amused himself. "Not getting into trouble, are we?" Pointedly, his gaze landed on me. Instantly I shook my head, and grinned hugely._

"_Hell no, sir."_

_He chuckled smoothly and motioned toward the door with his hand. "Well, it does seem to be getting late. Shall we?"_

"_Of course," Lidia answered for both of us, since I decided to get distracted by a rather nice looking alien-boy – or maybe it was a girl? Either way: Mmm. Mama like!_

_She pulled me out of my musings by joining us at the hip again, and pinching my shoulder. "Ow! Okay, okay."_

_We were all walking in a line, before I pulled up front, in a courteous manner. "Well, since you so kindly opened it on the way in, I'll do the honors on the way out!"_

_I left no room for interjection, and immediately reached for the door. As soon as my hand connected with the door, the only thing I knew from then on was white-hot pain. It shot from my face down to my toes. I couldn't even tell if I was standing anymore; and I couldn't hear anything either, not really. It was all muffled, but slowly starting to come back._

_When I blinked it made me scream, sending even more jolts of pain through my body. But still, I couldn't see; so, I kept blinking, trying to clear my eyes, and every time it did I felt more and more warmth start to seep across my cheeks ._

--

Hayden shot up in her bed; breathing heavily, with her heart drumming in her ears. Darkness surrounded her as she opened her eyes and blinked – no pain, but no sight. Her hand reached up tentatively to her face, wiping away a bit of moisture. Had she been crying again? _Christ, I don't even remember falling asleep._

Slowly she moved, getting her feet over the side of the bed, and stood. Carefully she felt around, and eventually made her way toward the computer desk, and leaned on it for support.

"Computer – time."

"0400 hours."

_Nu-uh. Way too early._

Still, she didn't want to go back to bed. Not after that. With a couple of pats to her body she found she was still in her clothes from the day – fairly nice sweatpants, and a simple tee-shirt. It was only a Starship, so, why not dress down a little? It's not like the clothes were raggedy, or anything.

Letting out a heavy breath she used her hand to guide her to the door, and essentially, her ballet flats. Slipping them on, she decided it would be best to get out of the room for a while; she needed the bright lights and buzz of machines to soothe her right now, to keep her mind off the nightmare her mind plagued her with.

Soundlessly she slipped outside, and was instantly greeted by what she sought. Judging by the hour, she doubted there would be many people in the halls, which was perfect. Hayden walked smoothly, not in any kind of rush, following the wall with her hand as she listened.

She was memorizing her path; each step that was taken, each break in the wall that meant there was another corridor. It certainly had taken a while to getting used to, but now, it was like second nature. One thing Hayden knew was, she didn't want to depend solely on anyone else to live her life – sure, certain things she would need help, but she needed some level of independence, and she would fight for it. Even if it meant getting lost in this ship dozens of times. Which she hoped wouldn't happen, by the way.

Lost in her thought she didn't register the sound of footsteps approaching, and suddenly colliding with another body. She didn't fall, but she heard something hit the ground. "I'm sorry!" She cried softly, a bit flustered by the ordeal.

"Yeah, you—!" The voice sounded angry at first, but then it changed."No, it's fine. I should've been paying more attention. No harm done."

Whoever it was didn't stick around very long after gathering their bearings, and leaving her there, her anger rising. She _hated_ that. Just because she couldn't see automatically made everything alright? A part of her wanted to call after him, and say something, anything, that might get him to yell at her and make her feel normal again.

--

It wasn't unusual for Spock to be up at this hour. With his Vulcan heritage he required less sleep to function properly, and often used it to keep on top of his work, and ensuring that whatever needed to be done was.

His relief had just arrived, and he handed over the controls to the Lieutenant, easily making way toward the tuborlift. When the doors opened again he reveled in the comforting silence of the halls. It was peaceful; it was often fascinating how he managed to find unparalleled peace on the Enterprise.

As his legs began to eat up the distance between him and his room, he picked up a distant conversation. Well, it wasn't really a conversation. Curious – because really, who else was willingly up at this hour? – he went toward it, and was incredibly surprised to find the young woman who traveled with the Ambassador leaning against the wall, looking quite…well, upset.

He wasn't surprised when her head turned in his direction as he approached; he had read about how when one sense was taken away, the others were amplified. Still, it didn't crush the resolve he had about her and her position.

"Pardon me, miss…" Spock trailed smoothly, realizing he didn't have anything but her first name, and really, it wouldn't seem appropriate to address her as such without expressed permission – and even then, he probably wouldn't.

"Jolie." She responded, if only a bit stiffly.

"Yes, miss Jolie." His eyebrow raised slightly as he regarded her briefly, hands folding themselves characteristically behind his back. "I have a few inquiries I would like to ask, if now is a suitable time." Even if he was about to call her out on a few things, and thoroughly bash her qualifications, it didn't mean he wasn't going to be polite about it. It wouldn't be anything personal; just his logical opinion and suggestion.

Hayden straightened up and cracked her back, an action which made him outwardly wince, not that she would notice. "I don't have anywhere else to be." She shrugged, her gaze flickering to unseen points before her. _A old habit, I assume. _"Sure, I guess."

"How long have you been at the Ambassador Denahi's side?"

She didn't even hesitate before answering. "Five. Two as a trainee, three as the leading lady."

Spock's eyes narrowed slightly before he pressed further, and even took a few calculated steps toward her; she seemed unphased, though acutely aware that he was moving. "Have you had relations with the Ambassador?"

Her jaw dropped, significantly, before it clenched shut; she had alarming accuracy for pinning him with her grey, cloudy glare, even if she didn't know it. It startled him slightly – the onslaught of those eyes, which seemed to hold nothing, and yet everything, at the same time. He could almost see a few slivers of blue mixed in with the grey…

"What?"

Pike had assured them that her relationship with Denahi was nothing but professional and friendly; no kind of scandal was at hand. But seeing her, he could not be sure; she was not a gorgeous woman, but she was aesthetically pleasing, and she had known the Ambassador for quite some time. It seemed odd to him why he would keep one woman with him for so long. It had to have been taxing for her – and thus, led him to believe there were other reasons why she would devote her time, and her young life, to simply being his translator.

"Although we have been assured there is no intimate relationship between the Ambassador and yourself, I find it highly illogical, when there are more capable personnel to be at his side."

"…and just what does that suppose to mean? I may not have finished my time at Starfleet, but I am certainly not inept. Walking around with fucking academic recognition, _sir_, does nothing to prepare you for the real world."

He could see the anger etched into her face, and it made him ponder slightly; but still, he continued. "While your lack of vision does not affect your speech or hearing, it certainly puts you at a disadvantage, does it not? You need assistance for the simplest of tasks, and it must be provided for you wherever you travel with the Ambassador."

"I'm more independent then you are, you asshole of a Vulcan."

At this he got just a bit defensive, and bristled immediately. "I happen to be half-Human."

Hayden sneered, and begun to pull away from his presence, tension rippling throughout her entire body. "Oh, really? I never would've guessed. Looks like you're a slave to your mind after all." She hissed, and turned around, walking with a swift pace back in the direction he assumed she came from – although she never took her hand of the wall, using it as a sure guide.

--

Spock had never been more thankful to be in his room. It was hot, and wrapped him in a familiar embrace, just like his home planet. His mind kept replaying what transpired between him and Miss Jolie. A frown found its way along his features, and he sat in his chair, thinking heavily. Perhaps he…should have controlled his prejudices on disabilities more; he knew of many disabled humans – and aliens- who were quite brilliant and admired. Once he got started he couldn't help it; on Vulcan many of his classmates had chided Humans for being so weak, and that when they were disabled, it only made it show even more.

This is exactly why he needed Nyota; why they were so logical. She understood him, and was so very much like him in so many ways – drive, intelligence, interest, solemn nature, though certainly a force if provoked.

But this…Hayden Jolie; she was a wildfire. He had blatantly insulted her and she retaliated accordingly, not even hiding her words. As if that wasn't enough to left him standing there, almost slack-jawed, using her own will-power and drive to get back to wherever she was going, and not ask anyone for help. He would've heard it.

He made up his mind, though; at a more respectable hour he was going to call Nyota, and get her opinion on the matter…and hope that Jim wasn't too furious at him for, in a sense, attacking his friend. Something told him that she was most certainly going to report him – not to Starfleet, but to his Captain; which really, was worse in his opinion. No doubt no good was going to come out of that prospective conversation.

--*

Sorry Spock's kinda like, an ass. He won't be for much longer, but these two are going to have a bumpy ride. X3 it's not going to be all gumdrops and fairies, believe me.

Review, my darlings!


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